


Stuck With You

by hTeDruknenPotaT



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Cookies, Cuddles, F/F, Fluff, Hugging, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, amedot - Freeform, gayyyy, steven is cuddly and adorable, super duper sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-21
Updated: 2015-10-21
Packaged: 2018-04-27 11:12:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5046073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hTeDruknenPotaT/pseuds/hTeDruknenPotaT
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The fact that Peridot is betraying Homeworld and will probably be killed by them hits her like a train.  When she politely runs off to have her nervous breakdown, Amethyst does her best to calm her down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stuck With You

**Author's Note:**

> I asked for cuddle prompts on tumblr and this was my favorite one! The prompt was from tumblr user thejokesterearth3alive. I may or may not have jumped on the Amedot train after Too Far. But honestly, I'm pretty sure the creators left us with no choice.

"Hand me the screwdriver, please."

"Excuse me?"

Pearl sighs, wrinkling her brows.  "The leverage optimizer, if you will."

"Hmm."  You hand it over reluctantly.  Everything you do for these clods is reluctant.  All this time spent working side by side with the pearl is degrading.

At least she isn't the perma-fusion, you think to yourself, watching her walk by and give Pearl a half-wave.  She creeps you out.  You've told them before that she can stay fused for all you care, as long as she stayed out of your workspace.

You're still learning, but you should have known how touchy of a subject it is.  Your slip-up earned you a brief time-out.  So you've taught yourself not to bring it up.  Ever.  You don't get it, and you don't want to know.

You can't trust anyone here.  There is absolutely no one you can—

"Hi guys!  Are you working together nicely?"

You remove your vision orbs from an ancient communication device and spot Steven entering the barn bearing a tray laden with... _things._  Of some sort.

"Who's up for a snack?"

"No thank you," says Pearl.

"Aw..."  You bend over the communication device.  Steven approaches you.  "Peridot, wanna try one?  They're called cookies and they're really good!"

"Steven, can't you see, I'm busy!"

"Pleeeease?  I want you to know how good our food is!  Do you know how to eat?"

"I've seen you," you answer.  "Am I... invited to this ritual?"

"Course you are!"

Steven plops down beside you, offering a white circular something covered with colorful dots.  You accept his gift, and experimentally pop one into your mouth.

An entirely new sensation spreads through, awakening a fifth sense.  The cookie dissolves into your mouth, the sensation spreads across your tongue, and there is no way to describe what this cookie is besides for the word Steven used.

Good.

Instinct and observation tells you to chew and swallow.  So you do.  But the cookie leaves behind the sensation in your mouth.  "Gimme another one!" You demand.

"Peridot, in this house, we do not say _gimme_ !  We say _please!"_

You roll your eyes.  "Maybe I _please_ have another cookie."

"Of course, Peridot!"  Steven grins as he hands you another cookie.  You consume it quickly.   _So good...._

Steven inches closer to you until you're both sitting side by side.  "I'm glad you like it!  Pearl hates food.  You're really getting settled in, huh?"

"I am..." You trail off.  Settling in?  Does that imply they _mean_ for you to stay?  Are you meant to be getting comfortable?  Do they _want_ you to?

No, of course they don't, you're here because of your knowledge of the cluster.  Well, maybe the smiling gem-hybrid next to you couldn't care less, but he was simply.... weird.

"Uh... Peridot?  You okay?"

Steven waves his touch stumps in front of your face.  "Argh!  I'm fine.  Cookie, please."

"DID SOMEONE SAY COOKIES?" roars a voice from outside the barn.

Ah, good.  Amethyst bursts into the barn, wild hair swinging behind her, flinging herself in front of the cookies.

Finally, someone you're glad to see.

"You can't have all of them!"  Steven holds them out of her reach.  "Remember the last five times!"

"GIMME GIMME GIMME!"

"Amethyst, please, we're trying to teach Peridot good manners!"

"You have to say please," you tell Amethyst proudly.

"Please gimme."

Steven sighs.  "Close enough."

"ALRIIIGHT!"

Amethyst scarfs down three entire cookies at a time.  Your eyes widen.  Several crumbs fall right into her tunic.  You stare at the crumbs that land on her gem.  Her lower chest is rather shapely.  You stare until you feel the prickly sensation of being watched.  You turn around.  Pearl is watching you, frowning slightly.  You look away.  Stupid Pearl, judging your every move.  And stupid Steven, spraying crumbs all over everyone’s bodies.

“You like ‘em, Peri?” asks Amethyst?

“Y-your shapely—”

“SHE LOVES THEM!” Steven announces.  You wait for the ground to open and swallow you so that you can meet your inevitable end with the Cluster.

“Yeahhh, cookies are DA BOMB, BITCHES!”

You sigh in relief.  Then you perk up.  “W-w-wait, you fed me _bombs?”_

“Amethyst,” Pearl grumbles, “keep it inside the temple, Steven is going to—”

“YEAH, BITCHES!” Steven shouts.

“STEVEN!”

Steven devours another cookie.  Amethyst splits one in half and offers you the bigger half.  You think it tastes better than the others, but that is a preposterous notion.  Just because her touch stumps were on them....  “Bet they don’t got food like this back on Homeworld, do they Homegirl?”

“No, I have never seen food before coming to Earth.  It isn’t necessary.  But... I suppose it isn’t _too_ preposterous of a concept.  If we had... _cookies,_ they could work as a fascinating new reward system.”

“Ohhhh, you should bring some back with you!”

“Yeah, give Homeworld cookies!” Steven says.  “And tell ‘em to take back their cluster!  Unless they promise to leave Earth alone, they don’t get any!”

“If only things were that simple...” Pearl sighs.

“Back to Homeworld....”  Back to Homeworld.  You can just picture showing up to Yellow Diamond with a fresh batch of Earth cookies.  What would she think?  What would anyone think?  You can just picture the sight of Jasper in your head taking an angry bite out of one.  You snort.  Jasper, eating cookies...

Where was she anyway?  Once you’re both back, you are going to have some incredible stories to share.

In one nanosecond, the realization hits you like a rocket.

You’re never going back.

You’re never going to hand over a plate of cookies to Yellow Diamond, because once she finds out what you’ve been doing....

The only reason you had been sent here in the first place was to check on the cluster.  And not only had you failed your mission, you were working to _stop_ the cluster.  Millennia of experimentation, building, testing research...

Their voices come back behind you.  It’s like they’re floating through space.  You don’t comprehend what they’re saying, but they’re the _enemies’_ voices.

You’ve failed.

They’ll never let you back.  You’re defective, just like them.  You’ve put your own puny, pathetic life over Homeworld’s greatest project.  They are not going to forgive you.  That is, if you _actually_ manage to stop the cluster, which is entirely unlikely.  They’ll punish you, that’s for sure.

You’re going to be shattered.

Your limbs tremble.  You can’t get control of your extremities.  Panic surges through you.  “Yo, Peri, what’s up?”

_“Meep...!”_

“Meep.  Cool.”

“Peridot, could you put this away, please?  Between the phillip’s head and the slot.  I like to keep them organized.”

You think Pearl is talking, is that her voice?

“So what part’re you working on?  You guys almost done?”

“Sorry, Steven, we’re far from finished.  Though we might go a little quicker if Peridot were more willing to _help out.”_

Peridot?  That’s you, isn’t it?  For some reason, you find yourself drawing in short gasps of air.  Your head feels light.  Why are you doing this, why should you help, what’s it going to do...

“Peridot...?”

Steven sticks his face in front of yours.  You stand.  “Excuse me, if-if y-you don’t m-mind...”  Damnit, Peridot, get your voice under control...  “I am going t-t-to take my leave.  F-for a short while.  Don’t come after me.”

You clench your fists as you make your way out of the barn.  Something hammers against your chest.  You think you must be damaged, because the left side of your chest keeps beating.  Your head throbs.  Your throat feels constricted until you travel (hopefully) out of earshot of the crystal gems.  Then, you find yourself a nice, small hiding place to have your nervous breakdown in.

That hole behind that bush looks adequate.  You curl up inside it.  You look around, make sure you’re concealed, then let out the tension that’s built up inside your chest.

Either way, no matter what, you’re going to be utterly destroyed.  Which death would be worse?  Death at the cluster at this point seems like a walk in the recreational gardens next to facing Yellow Diamond!  What have you been thinking this time, if you hadn’t told the Crystal Clods everything, at least you wouldn’t have died a traitor.

You can’t move.  You’ve lost control of your limbs, and your insides.  You’re going to implode any second.  The ticking in your chest is a clear indicator.  You’re going to set off....

You completely miss the rustling in the grass behind you.

“Yoooo.”

You squeak and hide your face.  Maybe if you can’t see her, she won’t be able to see you.  “G-go away!”

“I’m the highest standing gem here, remember?” Amethyst’s shadow looms over you.  “This turf’s practically mine.  What’s up?”

“Nothing!  Everything’s down, that’s what it is!”

“Whoa.  What’s eating you?”  Amethyst drops down beside you.  "It's not the cookies is it?"

"No, it's more of the fact that I've been shocked by the sudden realization of my inevitable end..."

“Oh.”  You feel a light pressure on your shoulder.  “You wanna... talk about it?”

You look up from a space between your arms.  Amethyst’s expression displays concern.  You’re obviously hurting the morale of the team.  “What is there to talk about?  Yellow Diamond will never accept me back after everything I’ve done!  I’ve been helping out you clods this _entire time—"_

“Helping out?”

“SHUT UP!” you scream.  You can’t take this right now.  “I KNOW, I’M AS USELESS TO YOU AS I AM TO HOMEWORLD!  Why... why don’t you clods just... shatter me right now and get it over with?”

“Yo, if we wanted to shatter you, don’t you think we woulda done it back when we had you poofed?”

“You were obviously saving me for interrogation!  But I’ve proven over and over just how... I’m— I’m lower than a clod, I’m a disloyal piece of dirt!  I— I don’t know what I’m saying!  It’s just so—”

“Hey, nerd!  Shut up for a second!”

You stammer yourself into silence.  Your vision orbs start leaking.  You can’t stop them.  You don’t remember when you started crying, but now you can’t stop.  “What happened to all this _clod_ business?” Amethyst asks.  “I thought you like, thought you were better than everyone else here!  You were all uptight, what’s making you freak out all of a sudden?”

“I’m ALWAYS freaked out!” you yell.  “Also, S-Steven suggested I bring cookies home... But nevermind that!”

“You’re....”  Amethyst laughs.  “You’re not seriously worried we’ll throw you out, are you?”

“Why _wouldn’t_ you?”

“Because... we just don’t do that.”

“Why,” you mutter, “because there are so few of you?”

“No!  It’s because no one’s just... no one’s disposable!  Peri, c’mere....”  Without warning, she wraps an arm around you.

She’s going to crush you.  You try to escape, but she holds tighter.  “Whoa, jeez, calm down!”

“WHAT DID I DO?  DID I SOMEHOW OFFEND YOU AGAIN?”

“No, I was just... I was just gonna give you a hug!  But if you’re that touchy—”  Amethyst releases you.  “Wait, did you think I was trying to strangle you or something?  A hug’s not an attack!”

“Wh-what’s a hug?” you ask.

“Can I show you?  It’s not gonna hurt, I promise.”

Hesitantly, you shuffle closer to her.  She opens her arms.  “Cmere.  Right here.”  She puts her arm back around you, pulling you even closer.  You tense up, waiting for the pain.  “Just calm down.”  She wraps another arm around you.  She squeezes your body a little bit, but it’s a gentle squeeze.  She’s warm.  Her body is warm.

“Listen, Peri, I’m gonna... if you listen, I’ll tell you something.”

Most of her face is concealed by her hair.  Your throat is too tight to speak, so you nod.  “Alright,” Amethyst sighs.  “All that stuff you’ve been saying about us being defective... it’s hit pretty close to home, because we’re... like you.  None of us wanna get thrown away.  But we’re all screwed up here.  That’s what makes us a team.”

“Team of freaks...”

“I _like_ being a freak,” Amethyst snaps.  “You may hate being here, but you’re stuck with us for now.  I was gonna say, we all used to agree with you.  But if _I_ can unlearn the shit I learned, _you_ can unlearn it too!  I...”  Her tone softens.  “I think you can.  I know you can.  Because... when you played that tape, I got the feeling that there’s some part of you that’d understand.”  She loosens her grip on you.  “But... if you just wanna stay here and cry it out, go ahead.  I’m done being insulted.”

She lets go of you.  A breeze blows.  You feel cold.  She repositions her legs, ready to stand.  She’s going back.  Your hand betrays you and suddenly, your touch stumps are gripping the fabric of Amethyst’s tunic.

“Amethyst...”

Her name chokes out as a pathetic whimper.  Amethyst takes your hand.  Instead of ripping it off her tunic, she keeps hold of it.  “Okay, I feel ya.  I’ll stay right here if that makes you happy.”

You reach around her.  You think you like this hugging.  Amethyst grips you back and you stay like that for a few minutes.  Crying it out.  This is the most vulnerable you’ve ever been.  You weren’t even this vulnerable when you were trapped in a bubble.  If Amethyst is going to crush you to death, you don’t care.

You just want to stay like this forever.

She rubs her touch stumps into your back, around and around in circles.  “Wh-why are you doing this?”

“Cause... it’s like I wanted to tell you earlier...  Peri, I’m not good at saying this stuff.”  Amethyst sighs.  “But when you tell us stuff like... what you tell us, it’s not like we don’t already know.  Garnet knows she’s a fusion.  Pearl knows what her place is supposed to be.  And... me an’ Steven don’t know too much, but... we don’t need to.  We don’t need to be anything other than what we want.  That’s what’s so cool about this place.  We can do whatever we want.  And no one’s gonna punish us.”

“But then...”  This makes no sense!  “How do any of you carry out your necessary functions with no discipline?”

“Because we want to!  We’re here, we’re fighting, because we want to protect this place.  It’s... hard to like ourselves sometimes.”  Amethyst’s chest heaves.  Is she crying too...?  “But we’ve got each other to fall back on, yknow?  We’re all freaks here.  Why would freaks like us get rid of _you_ for being a freak too?”

“So I’ve found my place....”  Yes, your place is right here, in the amethyst’s arms.

“Yeah, you’re stuck with us.  And... listen, if your scary boss wants you dead, we won’t let her get you.  We’ll crush her first.  I don’t... actually mind that you’re here.  Steven already likes you.  And... I’m sure Pearl and Garnet’ll come around.”

 _“All_ of her?”

“Hey, Peri, you wanna know why Garnet’s always fused?”

“Is it because she feels perpetually threatened in my presence?”

Amethyst throws back her head and laughs.  “AW MAN, YOU’RE SERIOUS?  No way, none of us are scared of _you_ anymore!”

You groan.  “We follow Garnet because Garnet’s awesome,” Amethyst elaborates.  “She loves herself.  Something... the rest of us are still working on.  That’s why she’s always together.  She never wants to be apart.  That feeling she gets when she’s a fusion... she likes that.  No one can tell her not to do it.  And we think that’s cool.  She’s not scared to be who she is.”

“Fusion... as a form of permanent attachment...?”  You’ve never heard of such a thing.  “Weird...”

“Do you get it at all?  Imagine caring about someone so much that... you never wanna stop being around them.”

Amethyst brushes her hair back.  You crane your neck to look at her face, and you think, _What would fusing with Amethyst be like?_  To be as brash and uninhibited as her, and to keep her here with you... would it be like a very long hug?

 _No, no no!  I’m becoming like one of them!_  “I, uh... maybe I... well...”  You giggle awkwardly.  “It’s a... pretty unusual thing to wrap my head around, but I’ll... keep in mind what you told me.”

“Good!  See, I knew you had it in you!”

“Don’t get any ideas...”

“You feel better?”

Your limbs are beginning to cramp.  “No...”  You press her head into her chest.  You want her bosom to swallow you whole.  You want it to take you where you’ll never have to face another gem again.

“Ohh... you _do_ like ‘em.”

You look up to see Amethyst smirking.  Heat rises to your face.  “Um... is this action inappropriate?”

“Is _this?”_

Amethyst leans forward and presses her lips suddenly to your nose.

_“Eeep!”_

“Haha!  Man, you’re a sap!”

“Wh-what did you just do?!” you squeak.  “C-c-could you do it again?”

What did you just say...?  How utterly mortifying—!  Amethyst cackles.  “You ready for this, nerd?”

“Yes!”

Amethyst releases you with one hand and grips the back of your head.  She presses her lips swiftly to your mouth.  She pulls away with a loud smack.  She’s grinning.  The skin on your face is searing.  All you can do is stare dumbly for several seconds.  Then, closing your eyes, you bump your face against hers to return the action.

Amethyst cackles.  “Peri, you are full of surprises!  You really like that?”

You nod hurriedly.  “See,” Amethyst says, _“this_ is why we love earth!  Bet Homeworld doesn’t want their gems smooching.”

“Sm-sm-smooch—”

In the distance, you hear footfalls.  You cringe, rolling off of Amethyst and back into your hole.   _Perfect timing,_ you think, as the hybrid approaches your hiding spot.

“Amethyst?  Where’s Peridot?” he asks.

“She’s in that hole.”

“Amethyst!” you cry.

“Cmon out, you sappy nerd!”

Steven bends over you, blocking your quick escape.  “Peridot?  Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”  You’re better than ever, but why did he have to interrupt now....

“Steven, guess what?  Peridot likes hugs!”

“You doooo?” Steven gasps.  Stars shine in his eyes, but that is impossible unless he somehow has a mini galaxy inside of him...

“Is this... a strictly human concept?” you ask.

“It doesn’t have to be!”  Steven grins at you.

Amethyst tugs at your arm.  Reluctantly, you emerge from your hole.  “See?”  Amethyst puts her arm back around you.  You remain stiff, but you don’t try to run.  This is shameful, _so_ shameful...

“This is the best news ever!”  Suddenly, Steven pounces.  The scream barely leaves your throat.  “CUDDLE PILE!”

He squeezes you both.  You can’t move your arms.  “Hey, Steven, she likes kisses too,” Amethyst giggles.

“Aww, you just keep getting more and more adorable!”

“I HATE YOU BOTH!” you shout.

“Mmmmm~”  Steven nuzzles his head into your shoulder.  Amethyst presses her lips to your cheek.

“Steven, you wanna help me tell Peridot why we’re not gonna break her?  She’s scared of what’s gonna happen when this whole thing’s over with.”

“WHAT?”  Steven gasps.  “Peridot... you really thought we were gonna break you?”

“I didn’t—”

“You know you’re safe with us, right?  We’re friends now.”

So this is how it is.  These fools have taken a liking to you.  You clench your teeth and struggle to free an arm.  Once it’s out, you reach it around Steven.  “I... appreciate the sentiment.  But you couldn’t possibly stand against Yellow Diamond.”

“Yeah... almost forgot you were going back...”  Steven gazes up at you.  “Think you’ll ever visit?”

“I may not be able to _leave.”_

“Well, if you can’t... how would you like staying here with us?”

“With _you?”_

“With _us,”_ says Amethyst, giving you a knowing smile.

You lean into her shoulder.  Your anxiety attack has left you exhausted, and her shoulder makes for a nice cushion.  What is making you so anxious to get back? you wonder.  Is this a symptom of this planet’s atmosphere?  It’s making you... want to stay.

“Peridot...” Amethyst whispers.

“Mm?”

“I think you ate enough cookies that you might have to poop later.”

“I might have to... what—?”

“Ooh boy,” says Steven.  He draws away, giggling sheepishly.  “It's not so bad actually, you'll be fine.... it's just a sacrifice we gotta make to enjoy cookies, yknow?"

"Personally, I like it," Amethyst offers.

"Objectively," you say, "now that I've been introduced to some of the concepts humans have to offer, I'm a little more open to this... pooping process."

"Good.  You'll love it.  It feels kinda nice."

You have so many questions.  But you don't want to ruin this peace and quiet just yet.  You sit sandwiched between Steven and Amethyst, letting them squish you, holding you, holding your sanity together.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to give me more sappy cuddle prompts my tumblr is zeezeepearl! I love ideas or comments or discussions of any kind. Honestly if you want to start up a conversation about our favorite gay ships just hit me up. Hit me up and beg me to write your wildest fantasies.


End file.
